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Human Technomorphology (SWAPPING OUT BODY PARTS) with Mary Roach

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Sep 17, 2025

Guest

Mary Roach

Mary Roach, a celebrated science writer known for her bestsellers, dives into the intriguing world of human technomorphology. She discusses fascinating topics like pigs with human kidneys and the future of organ transplantation through bioprinting. The podcast also touches on elective amputations, the sensory experiences of surgery, and the ethical dimensions of organ donation. With humor and vivid storytelling, Roach weaves personal narratives that highlight the emotional connections in medical science, all while inspiring a passion for innovative healthcare solutions.

57:48

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ANECDOTE

Finger To Phallus Story

Mary Roach traced Replaceable You's seed to a conversation about a surgeon using a man's middle finger to construct a penis.
She traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia, to see the procedure and describe the realistic, functional result.

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ADVICE

Record Selectively And Edit As You Go

Mary records interviews and takes notes but intentionally pauses recordings to avoid transcribing irrelevant material.
She edits as she goes and uses photos selectively to remember faces and scenes.

insights

INSIGHT

Cellular Tech Is Unavoidable

Mary initially resisted stem cells and bioprinting because they're hard to visualize for readers.
Immersion forced her to include cellular tech because it's essential to modern anatomy stories.

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Quirky Inspirations in Writing

03:54 • 8min

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Moments in Medical Storytelling

12:01 • 19min

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Sounds and Smells of the Surgical Experience

31:21 • 2min

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Support and Innovation in Health

33:11 • 9min

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Innovations in Bioprinting and Organ Transplantation

41:50 • 18min

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Celebrating the Art of Science Communication

Just One Foot is a memoir written by Judy Berna, an elective amputee who was born with spina bifida. Berna recounts her experiences of living with a foot that caused complications and multiple surgeries. Her childhood was filled with medical procedures and infections, leading her to decide on elective amputation to improve her quality of life. The memoir delves into her journey of seeking a surgeon willing to perform the amputation. It explores the emotional and physical challenges she faced.

#8335

• Mentioned in 4 episodes

Replaceable You

David Serlin

#4346

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Gulp

Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

Mary Roach

In 'Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal', Mary Roach delves into the intricacies of the human digestive system, starting from the sense of smell and taste, through the mouth, stomach, and intestines, to the final stages of elimination. The book is filled with fascinating anecdotes, historical accounts, and scientific insights, including visits to a pet-food taste-test lab, a fecal transplant procedure, and discussions on topics such as flatulence, constipation, and the stomach's remarkable abilities. Roach's approach makes even the most taboo subjects engaging and entertaining, highlighting the complex and often surreal aspects of human biology.

Grunt

Mary Roach

In 'Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War', Mary Roach delves into the lesser-known aspects of military science, focusing on how soldiers are protected from threats like panic, exhaustion, heat, and noise. The book offers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by soldiers and the innovative solutions developed by scientists to address these issues.

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• Mentioned in 5 episodes

Fuzz

When Nature Breaks the Law

Mary Roach

In *Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law*, Mary Roach delves into the complex and often humorous world of human-wildlife conflicts. She follows animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, and other experts to understand how animals interact with human environments. The book combines little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with engaging anecdotes, revealing as much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. Roach argues that humans are often both the problem and the solution in these conflicts, and her work offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our expanding human habitat.

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• Mentioned in 4 episodes

Packing for Mars

The Curious Science of Life in the Void

Mary Roach

In 'Packing for Mars,' Mary Roach examines the surreal physical and physiological challenges of living in space. The book covers a wide range of topics including the psychological effects of extended isolation, the complications of maintaining human life in a zero-gravity environment, and the practical challenges of space hygiene, food, and sex in space. Roach's approach is light-hearted yet detailed, making complex scientific and practical information easily digestible. The book also includes historical and current studies, interviews with astronauts and scientists, and humorous anecdotes that highlight the quixotic nature of space exploration.

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• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Bonk

The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex

Mary Roach

In 'Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex', Mary Roach delves into the complex and often humorous world of sexual science. The book addresses various intriguing questions such as whether one can think themselves to orgasm, why Viagra is less effective for women, and whether a dead man can sustain an erection. Roach combines fascinating anecdotes with scientific insights, discussing historical accounts, social stigmas, and modern research in the field of human sexuality. Her unique approach makes the book both entertaining and educational, challenging conventional notions and encouraging open discussions about sex.

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• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Stiff

The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Mary Roach

Shelly Frasier

M Roach

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is a non-fiction book by Mary Roach that delves into the history and various uses of human cadavers, from medical research to crash test dummies. Roach's narrative is both informative and humorous, making the book an engaging read for those interested in medical history and science. The book covers topics such as body snatching, decomposition, and alternative burial methods, offering a unique perspective on death and the human body.

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Spook

Mary Roach

Pigs with human kidneys. Iron lungs. Bionic prostheses. And bendable genitals. Mary Roach is here, and Alie is freaking out. Over the last two decades, this science icon has written seven New York Times bestsellers, including Stiff, Bonk, Gulp, and Packing for Mars. Her latest release, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy is all about Human Technomorphology. Prep your flesh for getting to 4th base in a lab, bugs on drugs, elective amputation, gene-tweaked farm animals, vacuum chambers, beating hearts, leftover tendons and much more with a scicomm legend who’s Alie’s personal career hero.

Visit Mary Roach’s website and follow her on Instagram

Check out Mary’s books including her latest, Replaceable You, available on Amazon and Bookshop.org

Donations went to The Amputee Coalition and United Ostomy Associations of America